hollandse gwaii

08Mar12

What sort of creation myths did the people inhabiting the Netherlands had before the arrival of Christianity have? Would their ancestors have arrived in Holland on a boat with a raven and a bear and a beaver, like in the story of the Haida?

The Bill Reid sculpture, Spirit of Haida Gwaii, is regarded as a metaphor for a country settled by immigrants – there are a lot of different creatures, all in the same boat together. But what must Dogfish Woman think when she sees all the charming little Dutch canals and windmills? Perhaps she has made a wrong turn somewhere in the Pacific fog. Or perhaps Raven is playing a trick on her with the help of his friends, de kraaien. Still, she cannot be too far from home as there are children playing in kayaks….